Case Number:

ON 438/21

Joel Tompkins #22, Catalans

Competition:

Super League

Match:

Catalans v Wigan

Match Date:

2021-05-29

Incident:

Punching in the 78th minute

Decision:

Charge

Charge Detail:

Strikes - Punching – sustained, repeated or violent

Fine:

£500

Sanctions:

D

Decision On Charge

Player plea:

Guilty Plea

Summary of CM's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Following a Match Review Panel meeting held on 31st May 2021, you are charged with misconduct for a breach of Law 15.1(a) during the above Match.

The Panel reviewed an incident which occurred in approximately the 78th minute of the above Match. You were sin binned following the incident. In the Panel’s opinion you repeatedly threw punches in a sustained and violent manner. The Panel believed that your actions were unnecessary and had the potential to cause your opponent serious injury.

Charge

In accordance with the RFL’s On Field Sentencing Guidelines, the Panel consider that such offence is a Grade D offence (Strikes - Punching – sustained, repeated or violent). The normal suspension range for such offence is from 3 to 5 matches

Summary of Player's submissions on the Charge / evidence:

Steve McNamara – I accept that Joel has to be punished as he is guilty, I do not believe that the last punch hit the back of the head, which has been suggested. I think it is all subjective to whoever makes the decision on whether the punches landed or not. The referrere, video ref and touch judges who were all there believed it was only worthy of a yellow where as Mr Hardacker was a red card.

The match review panel only had 1 angle of the footage in which the incident was only on for a few seconds.

Joel acted emotionally because it was his brother. Joel’s previous record should not be relevant and Zac didn’t suffer any injuries

Decision:

Guilty

Reasons for Decision:

Serious Incident with the intent to strike with sustained repeated violence.

Decision On Sanction (where found to have committed Misconduct)

Summary of CM's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

• MRP reviewed an incident which took place in approx. 78th minute
• The player was sin binned following the incident
• MRP were concerned at the manner in which Mr Tomkins reacted to an act of foul play against his teammate
• Mr Tomkins comes round his teammate and grabs his opponent and throws a one punch direct to his opponent’s head
• Mr Tomkins then throws 2 more punches with force, and at least one of those connects to his opponents head
• Slight pause as a melee ensues but Mr Tomkins then delivers one more final punch to his opponent which again connects with his head area
• Violent act towards an opponent
• Potential for injury to the opponent
• Acts of this nature bring the game into disrepute
• Graded D due to;
- Repeated and sustained - 4 punches thrown of which at least 3 connect significantly
- Significant force to the head area of an opponent
- Violent act against an opponent who had not committed the foul play against the player. Cannot be classed as retaliation

Summary of Player's submissions on the appropriate sanction:

Joel Tomkins – I am not trying to defend my actions I accepted I am in the wrong it was an emotional reaction as it was my younger brother who had just been headbutted. His head then hit me and it was an instinct to protect him. It was not premeditated just an emotional reaction in which I should have reacted differently.

Reasons for Decision:

Joel took matters into his own hands and could have caused significant injuries with a sustained attack. This is not a good advertisement for the game. He agrees it is 1 incident and not premeditated yet it was still dangerous.

There is not a lot of rugby played since 2019 when Joel had his last incident.

Joel’s willingness to accept consequence resulted in the 4 match ban.

Suspension:

4 matches